Rolling Stone
Hear Rivers Cuomo Cover Outkast, Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, and Nirvana
What could be more enjoyable than an acoustic rendition of Outkast's "Hey Ya" by Rivers Cuomo?
Fans who have attended Weezer concerts are already familiar with Cuomo’s unique approach to covering songs, whether it comes from a place of genuine admiration or playful irony. Recently, Cuomo shared a compilation of 16 acoustic versions of various artists' songs on YouTube, titled "randum cuverz." The playlist features tracks such as Radiohead's "Creep," Green Day's "When I Come Around," Nirvana's "Lithium" and "Drain You," as well as Dolly Parton's classic "Jolene," among others.
The uploaded covers date back to recordings made between 2018 and 2021. Most tracks are brief snippets, ranging from one to 90 seconds, suggesting a spontaneous recording session where Cuomo decided to capture the essence of each song. However, some covers, including "Hey Ya" and Harry Nilsson's "Without You," extend to four minutes, while "Drain You" and "Lithium" are approximately three minutes long. Conversely, his interpretations of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," Metallica's "Enter Sandman," and Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine" are shorter in duration, with Sam Hunt's "Body Like a Back Road" clocking in at just 23 seconds.
Although Cuomo has not commented on the release of these songs or the rationale behind sharing them, they can be appreciated as a fun artistic experiment—a playful reminder of “Felt cute, might delete later.”
Fans might be fortunate enough to experience full-band versions of some of these covers during Weezer's upcoming summer tour, aptly named "The Gathering." The Shins and Silversun Pickups are scheduled to join as support acts for the tour.
Share this story